would you let a pregnant friend ride your horse?

[Ibblebibble]

a friend has started coming to the yard and helping with the horses in return for rides, she has just found out she is pregnant and asked if she has to stop riding.
I'm already 99.9% decided on what i'm going to do but wondered what others opinions/thoughts were.

 

[Zero00000]

Depends on experience, horse and insurance I suppose, I rode all the way through my first up until 2 days before, yet with my second I stopped almost instantly because I had SPD and PGP and could barely walk let alone ride

 

[WindyStacks]

Hmmn tricky one! Whilst I did ride myself when pregnant, I'm not sure a friendship would survive a theoretical "what if... ?". If you're to go ahead I'd ask her to sign a disclaimer and ask that she arrange insurance for herself.

 

[AmieeT]

Agree with above. Insurance would be vital, but the rest is whether or not you're happy to let her.

Ax

 

[PingPongPony]

I would leave it up to her to decide. I think it would depend a lot on the type of horse she was riding, if the horse was a safe and sensible type then i would leave it up to her to decide. If the horse was a sharp, quirky horse then I would probably be inclined to ask her not to ride it and whatever type of horse I would ask her to have a riders insurance maybe a disclaimer also like someone else suggested?

 

[Asha]

Simple - no.

 

[QueenDee_]

Nope, my Mother came off out hacking whilst pregnant. Was one of those events that can happen even with the safest horse, pheasant flew out the hedge, she came out of the side door and sadly suffered the consequences..

 

[MileAMinute]

No, not worth it. If she had her own horse and wanted to ride that's completely different, IMO.

 

[misskk88]

I know it is ultimately their choice to continue riding or not, but I would nenver forgive myself if something did happen after giving my approval to ride my horse.

So no.

 

[joulsey]

Nope, I wouldn't. Don't think I would be able to relax my self worrying in case something did happen.

 

[Moomin1]

I would advise her not to ride if it was my mare, and would try as much as possible to put her off. But she is an adult (hopefully!!) at the end of the day, and therefore really it is down to her to make that decision.

I personally stopped riding my mare at 3 months pregnant, but there are women who continue to ride until 8 mths or even full term. You wouldn't tell pregnant women not to cross a busy road, or not to get in your car, all of which are a big risk, so IMO it's not down to another person (unless of course it's the father of the child) to be telling someone whether they can ride a horse or not. Even my OH has said that he cannot stop me riding if I wish, but he would rather I didn't.

 

[Ibblebibble]

thank you for your replies so far, my initial thoughts were it was her choice, but after 2 days of thinking it over i changed my mind! there is no way i want to be responsible for someone elses unborn child, I would not be able to live with myself if she fell and had a miscarriage so have decided it's a no go.

 

[Apercrumbie]

I wouldn't - not because I think that pregnant women shouldn't ride, it's a personal decision IMO, but because I couldn't cope if something happened to her and the baby while on my horse.

 

[Moomin1]

thank you for your replies so far, my initial thoughts were it was her choice, but after 2 days of thinking it over i changed my mind! there is no way i want to be responsible for someone elses unborn child, I would not be able to live with myself if she fell and had a miscarriage so have decided it's a no go.

But you aren't responsible for the unborn child - she is.

I would be seriously offended if someone told me, as a pregnant woman, what I can and can't do. (Not having a go here, that's just the way I view it as a currently pregnant woman - and possibly a very hormonal one too ;-) )

 

[dogatemysalad]

If both the woman and her husband were able to make an informed choice and the horse was not a difficult ride, then I'd go along with their decision.
Pregnancy isn't a mental disorder.

 

[case895]

I would like to say yes, however given the risk of being sued by some ambulance chaser even if they were insured, the answer is no.

 

[FairyLights]

No I wouldnt

 

[Tiddlypom]

I would be seriously offended if someone told me, as a pregnant woman, what I can and can't do.

I would have been offended too, probably. (I rode the safe horse up to 5 months, but stopped riding the prat.)

However, in OP's shoes, I would stop allowing her to ride the horse, because no matter how safe it may be, there is a risk of a fall and a subsequent miscarriage. If such a calamity happened, I would inevitably feel morally responsible, even if not legally so.

It's not the same as saying she shouldn't ride ANY horse, but just not the OP's.

My brother (a GP) told me that it was fine to continue to ride as long as I was comfortable, but under no circumstances was I allowed to fall off!

 

[cambrica]

No I wouldn't, simple as that. I understand, her body, her baby, her decision but the worry it would cause if she did take a fall is not worth it for the sake of a few months.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

Nope.

 

[windand rain]

The sad thing is that lots of miscarriages happen for a lot of reasons and you would still feel awful it it was just a coincidence. I stopped when I was pregnant but others I know did ride they are able to make a choice. So I wouldn't like it much but it is her choice really. After all pregnancy isn't an illness it is just a temporary change of shape. So if it was her horse fine her choice, my soft in the head pony would be ok but anything with any unpredictability then probably not on my horse. Best way to get a definitive answer is to ask a riding school if they would allow a pregnant person to ride

 

[Moomin1]

I would have been offended too, probably. (I rode the safe horse up to 5 months, but stopped riding the prat.)

However, in OP's shoes, I would stop allowing her to ride the horse, because no matter how safe it may be, there is a risk of a fall and a subsequent miscarriage. If such a calamity happened, I would inevitably feel morally responsible, even if not legally so.

It's not the same as saying she shouldn't ride ANY horse, but just not the OP's.

My brother (a GP) told me that it was fine to continue to ride as long as I was comfortable, but under no circumstances was I allowed to fall off!

It's entirely up to the OP of course, however, I wouldn't tell a pregnant woman that she wasn't allowed to drive my car, or get in my car, both of which carry a high risk also, if she wanted to.

I would certainly try and dissuade any pregnant woman from getting on my horse, without a doubt. But if they insisted, I really wouldn't stop them. This is all provided, of course, that they usually ride the horse, and are fully aware of what the horse can be like, and they are a capable rider. But that would go for anyone wanting to ride my horse, not just a pregnant woman.

 

[OldNag]

I think it's entirely different if it's the woman's own horse, then it's her horse, her choice. If I were the OP, I'd say no.

I know that plenty of people ride through pregnancy. But if it were my horse and something happened, I'd feel absolutely terrible.

Out of interest, anyone know what riding schools do in general if they have a client who's pregnant?

 

[PorkChop]

I agree that I would not let someone who was pregnant to ride my horse, I would never forgive myself if something terrible happened, if she is a friend she will understand.

 

[ozpoz]

I wouldn't - not because I think that pregnant women shouldn't ride, it's a personal decision IMO, but because I couldn't cope if something happened to her and the baby while on my horse.

Well I agree totally. What I chose to do with my own horse while pregnant is an entirely different scenario from "pregnant friend and my horse". I would feel much too anxious and would resent being put in the uncomfortable situation of "what if?".
Just because you are pregnant and want to ride doesn't mean that it is ok to ignore a friend's feelings and sensibilities.

 

[Apercrumbie]

I think it's entirely different if it's the woman's own horse, then it's her horse, her choice. If I were the OP, I'd say no.

I know that plenty of people ride through pregnancy. But if it were my horse and something happened, I'd feel absolutely terrible.

Out of interest, anyone know what riding schools do in general if they have a client who's pregnant?

Exactly - I would never judge anyone for riding through pregnancy, I have no idea what I would/will do as I haven't had children yet, but I wouldn't be comfortable with them riding MY horse. I honestly couldn't live with myself if something happened.

 

[Moomin1]

Out of interest (and not having a go here, purely out of interest now), those that say they wouldn't allow a pregnant woman on their horse, would you pour a pregnant woman a glass of wine if she said she would have one at a barbeque, for instance?

 

[Apercrumbie]

Out of interest (and not having a go here, purely out of interest now), those that say they wouldn't allow a pregnant woman on their horse, would you pour a pregnant woman a glass of wine if she said she would have one at a barbeque, for instance?

Nope.

 

[Moomin1]

Nope.

So you would tell them to pour their own?

 

[Orangehorse]

The OP doesn't say if the friend is an experienced rider or not, but I agree with everyone else that the answer should be no.

It is quite OK to continue with sports and activities that you are used to when pregnant, but always the advice is never to start anything new.

On your own horse, that you are used to and trust and that you and your husband have discussed and agreed, then to carry on riding while pregnant and while you feel and well and comfortable, is OK. Anything else, then no.